Rick Ross Talks Competition With Eminem, Drake and T.I. (Pg. 3)

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You’re getting ready to release a mixtape, Albert Anastasia, just before Memorial Day and then your album, Teflon Don, on July 6. I have to ask: What’s with the mafia references in both titles? Is there a reason for that?Yes, there is. I’m one of the few artists that prides himself on being self-made. I came into the game grinding. I didn’t have any cosigns from big artists or big producers. And up to this point, I haven’t had a big-time producer make a beat for me. I never had a Timbaland beat, never had a Pharrell beat, never had a Dr. Dre beat. I feel that, in that aspect, I’m a self-made man. Those titles are offsprings of that feeling.

What are some of the tracks from the album that you’re excited to get out into the world? There’s been a lot of speculation about who you’ve been working with this time around.I spoke on me and Jay’s song a couple weeks ago but that’s a special collaboration. It’s still untitled because we’re saying so much on it. The chorus is wild. The topics we address, there are certain things Hov is addressing that the game is going to be hectic about. We are giving lyrics as well as content and I’m excited about that.

And there’s a joint with Kanye, too, right?Yeah, me and Kanye have a record called “Live Fast, Die Young.” That’s one of those records that’s going to have you on the dance floor dancing your heart out with your heartbeat racing. At the same time, you’re going to have a tear running behind your shades. It’s a dope joint.

Anything the average Rick Ross fan might be surprised to hear?Most definitely. I have a record by the name of “Tears of Joy” that’s produced by No ID. That’s the one record that I’ve never recorded in my life—from the content to the emotion to the way it was written. It feels like four bars of raps and then two bars of a more relaxing feel and then four more bars of raps. It’s just real different, the way it turned out. And the No I.D. production is classic.

This is obviously going to be a big summer for rap. Young Jeezy is dropping a new album. Eminem is coming out with something. T.I. is back. Drake is dropping his debut. What do you think will make a Rick Ross album stand out from the pack?I do my thing. I’m the boss and I feel that what I bring to the table is different. The reason I release records like “Super High” is to show you that this is the music Rick Ross can make that you’re not going to find nowhere else. So it just feels good to be competitive. We’re competing for that No. 1 spot.